when to switch from alfalfa based pellets to timothy!!

[LoveChaCha]

what age (months) do buns need to be switched from alfalfa based pellets to timothy based?

my little chacha will be 6 months on the 24th.. just wondering.

also, i still have tried veggies, but to no avail. can a bun be healthy without eating any veggies? chacha likes wheat grass.. is it safe to gather some grass from outside for her? my yard is not treated. my dad just mows it every once in a while and he doesn’t use anything. otherwise, all my bun likes is hay, her pellets and wheat grass.

 

thanks

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Brittany,

first, you can start switching her over now. Mix the alfalfa with timothy pellets for about a week, gradually lowering the percentage of alfalfa in the mix. By the second week she should be changed over completely. You can get some alfalfa cubes as treats for a while if she misses the taste.

I would try some simple veggies, and not too much to get her to start liking them. Once the alfalfa is gone, she may change her mind. I always like romaine, green or red leaf lettuces as base veggies. Also, try mint and parsley. bunnies can develop tastes for things gradually. You can give her carrots and carrot tops if she resists other veggies. Just don’t change it frequently. Try one kind one week, another the next, and stick with any she likes.

I would not risk the outdoor grasses, only because other people’s grasses and seeds that had pesticides can blow into your yard and mix in the mowed pile. Orchard grass, timothy hay, oat hay, etc. are a staple of their diet so you can get it in big bags that will last a while inexpensively once you find her favorite.

[Elrohwen]

Are you still free feeding pellets? Otto didn’t really eat veggies either while he was getting unlimited pellets, but once I started cutting him back around 7 or 8 months he got a lot more interested.

[Beka27]

I agree, once their pellets get reduced drastically, they usually do end up eating more veggies. Specifically, what types of veggies have you tried?

[LoveChaCha]

Elrohwen – Yes, I am currently free feeding her, as she is/was a baby bun that needed to be free fed. I gave her a half cup of pellets every other day. I have a bag of Oxbow Bunny Basics for Adult buns in the spare bedroom and mixed a little bit in this morning.

I read on the package however, that buns that are 1-3 pounds should only get 1/8 cup a day.. that is very little, eh? I feel like I would be starving my bun.. but she is a dwarf. Perhaps that will get her to start eating some yummy veggies.

RabbitPam – I tried introducing her to organic carrots with the tops (recommended by my friend’s mom who has many animals lol), but ChaCha refused it. I would try every week – including romaine and broccoli. ChaCha would sniff it from my hand and run off. I gave her a tiny apple slice once and I left it in her mini bunny haven and I came home to see a few bites taken out of the apple slice. I praised her for trying.

Since I got paid today, I will put some money on the side after she gets fully adjusted to timothy based pellets. I hope that I don’t get sniffles from it because I am allergic to timothy hay

[Monkeybun]

Monkey didn’t like trying new veggies either. I was persistant, and kept shoving them in her face until she’d get annoyed and grab them to toss them.. at which point she’d actually taste them lol. She now loves cilantro, carrot tops, lettuce of many varieties, basil, dill… hehe.

Lowering pellet intake will definitely help.

[usagi]

Brittany!

Our buns have the same birthday! Lemony will also be 6 months on the 24th!

And I am also allergic to Timothy hay! Weird.

On a thread here a little bit ago I asked about alternatives for us allergy sufferers, and Orchard grass was suggested. Haven’t tried it yet, as it is in the mail from BB, but we shall see.

Think we are going to wait for the seventh month mark to start switching Lemony over.

Have you tried flat / italian parsley? That went over really well. He also likes cilantro, fennel, and bok choy, but it was only on the second go-around that he was interested. He’s not a big fan of spinach, but will eat it if left.

I am sure you will find something that Chacha is interested in!

[LoveChaCha]

Monkeybun, this is what happened last time I offered a fresh carrot with the tops on it:

Me: Little ChaCha, I’ve got a yummy carrot for you!! *put in front of her*
ChaCha: …. Eh? *curiosity sniff*
Me: Try it little one.
ChaCha: *sniffs more, turns around and runs away*
Me: *chasing after her and puts the carrot in front of her*
ChaCha: *IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE RUN AWAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!*

LOL

I guess that some rabbits need to be ‘forced’ a little to try new things. I guess they are accustomed to their pellets… O.o Hmmm.

Usagi,
I love your name my friend nicknamed me ‘usako’ which is bunny child
That is so awesome our buns are the same age
I use orchard grass and my bun likes it

[Author]

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